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Trump fires librarian of US Congress

US President Donald Trump has fired the country's top librarian, his spokeswoman confirmed Friday, cutting short the term of the only woman and first African American to take on the role.

'Jumbo': the animated Indonesian film smashing records

An Indonesian animated movie is smashing regional box-office records and could be set for wider success as it prepares to open beyond the Southeast Asian archipelago's silver screens.

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Cuban singer Pablo Milanes dies in Madrid at 79

Acclaimed Cuban singer, songwriter and guitarist Pablo Milanes died early Tuesday in Spain, where he had been hospitalized in recent days, his agent said. He was 79.

Six staffers from Hong Kong's Apple Daily plead guilty to foreign collusion

Six senior staffers from Hong Kong's shuttered pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces on Tuesday, and could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.

Star soprano Renee Fleming returns to Met opera with 'The Hours'

A powerhouse trio of American song will interpret the voice of Virginia Woolf on New York's prestigious Metropolitan Opera stage, as the highly anticipated run of "The Hours" makes its world premiere Tuesday.

To strengthen ties, ancient Maya gifted neighbors a spider monkey

Seventeen hundred years ago, a female spider monkey was presented as a treasured gift -- and later brutally sacrificed -- to strengthen ties between two major powers of pre-Hispanic America, according to a new study.

Horseman and hero: Who is Argentina's 21st century gaucho?

Riders in berets, espadrilles and traditional neck scarves stand out against a dust cloud enveloping a melee of hundreds of horses as they expertly herd the animals.

'Wakanda' extends its box-office reign in N.American theaters

Disney and Marvel's "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever" dominated the North American box office for a second straight weekend, taking in an estimated $67.3 million, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations reported Sunday.

Museum of London packs up for £250 mn move

King Charles I's execution vest and 20,000 human remains are among the objects that need to be packed up as the Museum of London makes a daunting £250 million ($260 million) move.

Twitter turmoil, staff exodus aggravate security concerns

Twitter's owner Elon Musk has pledged the platform will not become a "hellscape," but experts fear a staff exodus following mass layoffs may have devastated its ability to combat misinformation, impersonation and data theft.

French-speaking bloc to focus on development at Tunisia summit

The world's club of French-speaking countries will meet in Tunisia from Saturday for talks focused on economic cooperation, more than a year after President Kais Saied began an internationally criticised power grab.

Amid Twitter chaos, Musk reveals new vision for hate content

After turning Twitter upside down, Elon Musk on Tuesday tried to clarify his plans for content moderation, a key issue for the future of the influential platform after the departure of advertisers and top executives.

Will any music stars perform in Qatar?

Several global stars have refused to take part in the opening ceremony of the Qatar World Cup, and with two days to go, it is still not clear who will perform.

Taylor Swift hits out at 'excruciating' Ticketmaster tour chaos

Taylor Swift on Friday lashed out at Ticketmaster over the botched sale of her upcoming tour, saying it was "excruciating" to learn that thousands of her fans had struggled to buy tickets.

Superhero turned soccer club owner Ryan Reynolds honored by Hollywood

From subversive superheroes to sports documentaries, Hollywood A-lister Ryan Reynolds said he is focused on exploring new forms of storytelling, as he received a prestigious film industry honor.

Uruguay's Jorge Drexler eclipses Bad Bunny at Latin Grammys

Uruguay's top musical export Jorge Drexler overshadowed megastar Bad Bunny's hype at Thursday's Latin Grammys, scoring seven trophies including Best Record during the gala that saw Spain's Rosalia take home the coveted top album award.

Film 'flips the angle' on iconic Thelonious Monk interview

Half a century after jazz great Thelonious Monk appeared on a French television program, a new documentary revisits outtakes from the 1969 interview to cast light on the racism and exploitation of black musicians.

Ticketmaster cancels public sale of Taylor Swift tickets

After days of glitches and long waits frustrated fans trying to buy Taylor Swift tickets during presale windows, Ticketmaster on Thursday said they were cancelling tomorrow's slated public sale.

Charlize Theron under fire over Afrikaans 'a dying language' comments

Oscar-winning actor Charlize Theron has sparked a firestorm in her native South Africa for suggesting that Afrikaans, a language descended from Dutch settlers, was heading for oblivion.

Axed Australian TV soap 'Neighbours' set for revival

Cult Australian soap opera "Neighbours" is to return to television screens next year after being cancelled by Britain's Channel 5, streaming site Amazon Freevee said Thursday.

Freud centenary exhibit reunites artist with closest friends

British artists Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon were friends for decades before a bitter falling out.

'Hardcore' or bust: Musk gives ultimatum to Twitter staff

Twitter's new boss Elon Musk has asked staff to choose by Thursday between being "extremely hardcore" and working intense, long hours, or losing their jobs, according to an internal memo seen by AFP.

Taylor Swift tour chaos spurs calls to probe ticketing industry

When Taylor Swift announced her first tour in five years, Jacob Landry couldn't wait to jump in line to see his favorite artist take the stage.

Jay Leno needed skin grafts after car fire: doctor

US talk show host Jay Leno required skin grafts for significant burns to his face and hands from an explosion involving a vintage car, and will undergo further surgery this week, his doctor said Wednesday.

Warhol nephew auctions two early works by pop art visionary

Two early Andy Warhol paintings were sold at auction in New York on Tuesday by the family of the pop art visionary, the first in a series of little-known works that will reach the art market, his nephew told AFP.

Praised abroad, controversial Pakistani movie 'Joyland' banned at home

The local screening of a Pakistan-produced movie portraying a love affair between a married man and a transgender woman hangs in the balance after the film was cleared by censors, then banned by the government under pressure from Islamists.

A bluffer's guide to Proust 100 years after his death

France's Marcel Proust, who died 100 years ago on Friday, is regarded as one of the greatest novelists of all time -- but few can truthfully claim to have read his 2,400-page masterpiece "In Search of Lost Time".

Billion youth risk hearing loss from headphones, venues: study

Around one billion young people worldwide could be at risk of hearing loss from listening to headphones or attending loud music venues, a large review of the available research estimated on Wednesday.

Spanish activists protest 'grotesque' fire bull festival

Writhing and grunting, a bull with burning balls of tar attached to its horns charged in the darkness in a small town in northern Spain.

North Macedonia violin maker pursues the perfect pitch

Unable to afford a violin for his then young son, Svetozar Bogdanoski took matters into his own hands and painstakingly crafted the instrument on his own.

Warhol nephew to auction two works by pop artist

Andy Warhol's nephew will put two works by his late pop artist uncle on the market for the first time Tuesday in New York, with both expected to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars at auction.

US talk show host Jay Leno in hospital with burns

US comedian Jay Leno said Monday he has suffered serious burns from a gasoline fire after an accident involving one of his cars.

US talk show host Jay Leno in hospital with burns: media

US talk show icon Jay Leno has suffered serious burns to his face in an accident with one of his cars, entertainment media reported Monday.

Star French TV presenter faces legal complaint after insulting MP

A left-wing MP who was called a "shit" and a "buffoon" on air by one of France's best known chatshow hosts said Monday he would file a criminal complaint over the insults.

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